Educational Leadership MA

University of Chester

Enhance your leadership potential and make a lasting impact in education with our MA in Educational Leadership. Designed for current and aspiring leaders across all educational settings, this course empowers you to critically engage with leadership theories and apply them to real-world challenges. With a strong emphasis on professional practice, you will refine your ability to lead with confidence, drive positive change, and shape the future of education. Our expert staff bring a wealth of academic and sector experience, ensuring that your learning is grounded in both research and contemporary practice. You will benefit from a flexible, personalised approach, with opportunities to gain accreditation for prior learning, including National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). Whether you are looking to progress within your current role or transition into new opportunities, this MA will equip you with the knowledge and skills to advance your career. In addition to your Master's degree, you will also achieve a prestigious Chartered Management Institute (CMI) award in Strategic Leadership. This dual accreditation highlights your expertise and enhances your professional standing, giving you a competitive edge in the field. Part-time students can select from a range of modules in order to personalise the course based on their prior experience and career aspirations. If you are not sure that a full MA is for you, then why not start with our Postgraduate Certificate, which is achieved by completing three modules. After this, you can progress onto the Postgraduate Diploma and then the MA. Full-time students benefit from a carefully selected range of modules that will enhance your understanding of contemporary approaches to leadership. Our philosophy is grounded in professional practice, with theories of leadership linking directly to leadership practice. We want you to be able to apply what we teach directly to your workplace. Our curriculum is informed by a steering group comprising senior leaders from multi-academy trusts across the country, as well as policy representatives from the government and sector representative organisations. This ensures that your learning is current, applicable and up to date. If you engage in the course you will: become a better informed and confident leader who can help shape the future of leadership be able to apply theoretical frameworks to real problems in education. stand out from the crowd as a leader when applying for your next career step. You can enter the course by making a claim for previous learning through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) process and then undertake modules for the remainder of your course taking into account your setting and individual needs. Use your prior learning to accelerate your journey to gain a Master's degree. For example, if you are a headteacher or deputy headteacher with a NPQH, you could gain your MA in Educational Leadership by completing one taught module, plus a dissertation. On successful completion of your MA in Educational Leadership you will also gain a prestigious Chartered Management Institute (CMI) award in Strategic Leadership. This additional qualification is fully embedded into your MA in Educational Leadership. It provides you foundation Chartered Manager status (fCMgr) with a route through to full Chartered Manager status. This qualification will enhance your employability and offers recognition in addition to your MA in Educational Leadership as to your leadership skills.

School of Education